Wendigo
by Dede42
Summary: Sam has dropped out of college, and the Winchesters are now on their way to the woods in Colorado to see if they can find their dad, but there is something in the woods that makes campers disappear forever, will they be able to survive?
1. Chapter 1

Supernatural: Wendigo

A/N: Hello! Now I know that I said I probably wouldn't update again until before or after Christmas, but I'm taking a short break from my homework to post this new story, which my wonderful Beta Reader, and little sister, Yami Faerie edited for me.

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _Supernatural_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE: MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCES**

Blackwater Ridge

Lost Creek, Colorado…

On the outskirts of a campsite that had three tents in it, small growls could be heard; inside one of the tents, two guys were playing video games very loudly.

"Dude, you're cheating," Brad complained to his friend Gary.

"No, you just suck," Gary retorted.

* * *

Outside the growling was growing louder and closer, but in the second tent, a guy named Tommy was recording a message on his cell phone, completely unaware of a dark shape moving past the back of his tent very fast. "Hey Hailey, day six, we're still out near Blackwater Ridge, we're fine, keeping safe, so don't worry, talk to you tomorrow."

* * *

In the first tent, Brad got tired of playing his video game, shut it, and tossed it aside; he then got up and moved toward the door of the tent.

"Hey, where ya goin?" Gary asked, surprised. "It's my moment of victory."

Brad rolled his eyes and said, "Nature calls," before opening the tent's flap, stepping outside, and zipping up the tent behind him. He walked over to the nearest tree to relieve himself, and looked in the woods, where he saw some of the trees rustling. He knew there were supposed to be grizzlies around the area, but there was something that just set his nerves on edge.

Gary was intensely focused on his game, so he jumped when Brad's scream rent the air, followed by several loud growls. "Brad?"

* * *

In the second tent, Tommy also jumped and called through the fabric. "Gary, what's goin' on?"

Gary opened the tent and stuck his head out to look around. There was silence, followed by more growling and Gary screamed as he was violently pulled from his tent.

Tommy turned out the lantern he had on at once and fearfully watched the shadows that were moving very quickly along the outside of the tent. He swiveled around with every growl, scared. Suddenly, it grew very quiet, and he almost let out the breath he was holding when the something outside slashed opened his tent. He screamed.

* * *

Palo Alto, California…

Sam, wearing a black dress suit, walked up to Jessica's grave with flowers. "I… um…" he nervously laughed to himself. "You always said roses were… were _lame,_ so I brought you uh…" he stopped and looked at the small picture of Jess that was on her gravestone, sighed and choked back the tears that were threatening to break loose. "Jess… oh God… I should have protected you. I should have told you the truth."

He bent down to set the flowers on the stone, when an arm suddenly reached up out of grave and grabbed his wrist — and then Sam jerked awake in Dean's car.

"You okay?" Dean and Liz both asked, concerned.

"Yeah I'm fine," Sam lied.

Dean nodded, not believing that for a second. "Another nightmare?" he asked and Sam shook his head, clearing his throat. "You wanna drive for a while?" he offered.

Sam laughed, surprised by the offer. "In your whole life you never once asked me that," he remarked and Liz agreed since it was a first.

Dean shrugged. "Just thought you might want to, never mind."

Sam sighed, realizing what was going on. "Look man, you're worried about me, I get it and thank you but I'm perfectly okay," he said in a reassuring manner that didn't fool Dean or Liz for a second.

"Mm-hmm."

"Sure you are, Sam."

"So, where are we?" Sam asked, changing the subject.

"We are just outside of Grand Junction," Dean answered.

Sam looked at a map. "You know what?" he said after a moment. "Maybe we shouldn't have left Stanford so soon."

"Sam, we searched the campus for a week, and we didn't find anything," Liz reminded him gently. "If you wanna find the thing that killed Jessica…"

"We gotta find Dad first," said Sam, his voice going slightly cold, and Liz held back a long-suffering sigh. She was hoping (probably against all odds) that Sam wouldn't try to start yet _another_ fight.

"Dad disappearing, and this thing showing up again after twenty years, it's no coincidence," Dean stated, eyes glued to the road. "Dad will have answers; he'll know what to do."

"It's weird man," Sam said, staring at the map, frowning. "These coordinates he left us, this Blackwater Ridge."

"What about it?" Dean and Liz both asked.

"There's nothing there, it's just woods," Sam said, gesturing to the map. "Why is he sending us to the middle of nowhere?"

Dean met Liz's eyes via the rearview mirror, neither sibling having an answer for the youngest Winchester. Just then, they drove past the National Forest sign that said, "Welcome to Lost Creek, Colorado" and they soon arrived at what appeared to be the Visitors Center.

* * *

VISITORS CENTER…

"So Blackwater Ridge is pretty remote," Sam said, reading from a brochure as they got out of the car and headed for the doors to the center. "It's cut off by these canyons here, rough terrain, dense forest, abandoned silver and gold mines all over the place."

Inside, Dean noticed a picture of a fallen bear and a man standing near it with a rifle. "Dude check out the size of this freakin' bear," he exclaimed, amazed at the size.

"I think that's a grizzly," Liz corrected her twin.

"There's a dozen or more grizzlies in the area," Sam said, also glancing at the picture. "It's no nature hike, that's for sure."

Just then, they were approached by a forest ranger. "You folks aren't planning on going out near Blackwater Ridge by any chance?" he asked.

"Oh no sir, we're environmental study majors from UC Boulder, just working on a paper," Sam lied.

"Recycle, man," said Dean with a grin while Liz stifled a sigh at her twin's antics.

"Bull," said the ranger, not believing it for a second. "You're friends with that Hailey girl right?"

There was a moment of silence

"Yes, yes we are, Ranger Wilkinson," Dean said with a sheepish-looking grin as he glanced at the man's nametag.

Ranger Wilkinson sighed. "Well I will tell you exactly what we told her," he said sharply. "Her brother filled out a backcountry permit saying he wouldn't be back from Blackwater till the 24th, so it's not exactly a missing persons now is it?" and Dean shook his head. "You tell that girl to quit worrying, I'm sure her brother's just fine," he added in a more mellow tone.

Dean nodded again. "We will. That Hailey girl's quite a pistol, huh?" and then winced when Liz jabbed him in the ribs.

"That is putting it mildly," Ranger Wilkinson grumbled.

"Actually, you know what would help is if I could show her a _copy_ of that backcountry permit, you know, so she could see her brother's return date for herself," Dean suggested, getting an idea.

Sam, Liz, and a laughing Dean walked out of the building with the copy of the permit.

"What, are you cruising for a hook-up or something?" Sam asked, surprised that Ranger Wilkinson was so helpful.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked.

"The coordinates point to Blackwater Ridge, so what are we waiting for, let's just go find Dad," Sam suggested. "I mean, why even talk to this girl?"

Dean shrugged. "I dunno," he said, and Liz could hear the sarcasm dripping from his voice, "maybe we should _know_ what we're walking in to before we actually _walk_ into it."

"I'm with Dean on this one," Liz agreed after a moment, "I'd much rather look before I leap."

Sam was surprised. "What?"

"Sam, since when are you all shoot first and ask questions later anyway?" Dean asked.

"Since now," Sam answered shortly, turning away and heading for the car.

Dean and Liz were both skeptical and exchanged yet _another_ look before following Sam.

* * *

HAILEY'S HOUSE…

After driving a bit, they found the house; Dean knocked on the door and a young woman with dark eyes and long dark hair opened it with the screen door still closed.

"You must be Hailey Collins," said Dean. "I'm Dean, this is Liz and that's Sam. We're rangers with the park service. Ranger Wilkinson sent us over, we wanted to ask you some questions about your brother Tommy."

"Let me see some ID," Hailey requested.

Dean nodded and held up fake ID. "Here ya go."

Hailey looked at the ID through the screen door for a moment. "Come on in."

"Thanks," Dean said.

Hailey just happened to notice the Impala as she opened the screen door. "That yours?" she asked.

Dean grinned. "Yeah."

Hailey was impressed as she led them inside. "Nice car."

"So, if Tommy's not due back for a while, how do you know something's wrong?" Sam asked.

"He checks in every day by cell," Hailey explained. "He e-mails photos, stupid little videos… but we haven't heard anything in over three days now." She let out a sigh, clearly frustrated.

"Is it possible he just couldn't get phone reception?" Liz suggested.

Hailey shook her head. "He's got a satellite phone, too."

"Could it be he's just having fun and forgot to check in," said Dean.

Just then they entered the kitchen, and a young man with black hair, Ben, was sitting at the table. "He wouldn't do that," he snapped.

Hailey sighed. "Our parents are gone," she explained. "It's just my two brothers and me. We all keep pretty close tabs on each other."

Sam could understand that well enough. "Can I see the pictures he sent you?" he requested.

Hailey nodded. "Yeah." And she opened a series of pictures on her laptop. "That's Tommy." And she played the video.

_`" Hey Hailey, day six, we're still out near Blackwater Ridge, we're fine, keeping safe, so don't worry, talk to you tomorrow."`_

Sam frowned slightly, spotting something in the video the rest didn't pick up on.

"Well, we'll find your brother, we're heading out to Blackwater Ridge first thing in the morning," Dean assured her.

"Then maybe I'll see you there," said Hailey and Sam, Liz, and Dean all looked over at her. "Look," she said after a moment, "I can't sit around here anymore, so I hired a guide. I'm heading out in the morning, and I'm gonna find Tommy myself."

"I think I know how ya feel," Dean agreed after a pause.

"Hey, you mind forwarding these to me?" Sam requested, changing the subject.

Hailey nodded. "Sure."

* * *

LOCAL BAR…

After talking a bit more with Hailey and some research, Sam, Liz, and Dean were now in the local bar, and Sam was showing the other two everything that he'd found, pulling newspaper articles out of a briefcase. "So, Blackwater Ridge doesn't get a lot of traffic, local campers mostly," he explained. "But still, this past April two hikers went missing out there, they were never found."

"Any before that?" Dean asked.

"Yeah In 1982, eight different people all vanished in the same year," Sam confirmed. "Authorities said it was a grizzly attack. And again in 1959 and again before that in 1936. Every 23 years, just like clockwork." He then pulled out his laptop. "Okay, now watch this. Here's a clincher. I downloaded that guy, Tommy's, video to the laptop. Check this out." He played the video frame by frame so that both Dean and Liz could see a shadow of something moving extremely fast outside the tent behind Tommy.

"Do it again," Dean requested, frowning.

"What was that?" Liz wondered.

Sam played it again. "That's three frames," he explained. "That's a fraction of a second. Whatever that thing is, it can move."

Dean hit Sam's arm lightly. "Told ya something weird was goin' on." Sam gave him a scowl, but nodded.

"Weird is right," Liz agreed.

"I got one more thing," Sam added. "In '59 one camper survived this supposed grizzly attack. Just a kid. Barely crawled out of the woods alive."

"Is there a name?" Dean asked eagerly, and Sam smiled.

* * *

SHAW HOUSE…

"Look ranger, I don't know why you're askin' me about this," Mr. Shaw grumbled. "It's public record; I was a kid. My parents got mauled by a…"

"Grizzly? That's what attacked them?" Sam asked, cutting in.

Mr. Shaw paused in silence, and then nodded his head, but it was clear on his face that even he didn't believe that.

"The other people that went missing that year… those bear attacks too?" Dean asked. "Or how about all the people that went missing this year? Same thing?"

"If we knew what we were dealing with, we might be able to stop it," Liz said.

Mr. Shaw didn't look convinced. "I seriously doubt that," he said with a shake of his head. "Anyways, I don't see what difference it would make. You wouldn't believe me, nobody ever did." He sighed and looked away.

"Mr. Shaw, what did you see?" Sam asked quietly.

"Nothing," Mr. Shaw admitted. "It moved too fast to see, it hid too well. I heard it though, a roar, like…no man or animal I ever heard."

Sam exchanged a look with Dean and Liz. "It came at night?" he asked, and Mr. Shaw nodded. "Got inside your tent?"

"It got inside our _cabin_," Mr. Shaw corrected. "I was sleepin' in front of the fireplace when it came in. It didn't smash a window or break the door, it _unlocked_ it. Do you know of a bear that could do something like that? I didn't even wake up till I heard my parents screamin'."

"It killed them?" Sam asked, wondering what of all the supernatural creatures out there could possibly unlock a door or even a window.

Mr. Shaw nodded. "Dragged them off into the night," he added, sighing again. "Why it left me alive… been askin' myself that ever since. Did leave me this though." He then opened the collar of his shirt to reveal his chest, which had three huge scars that looked like they were made by three huge claws. "There's something evil in those woods. It was some sort of a demon."

After thanking Mr. Shaw for his time, Dean, Liz, and Sam left the house, and walked out to the Impala.

"Spirits and demons don't have to unlock doors," Dean stated. "If they want inside they just go through the walls."

"Which means we can rule those types out," Liz said, agreeing.

"So it's probably something corporeal," said Sam, thinking.

Dean gave Sam an exasperated look. "Corporeal? Excuse me professor."

"Shut up. So what do you think?" Sam retorted.

"The claws, the speed that it moves, could be a skin walker, maybe a black dog," Dean guessed. "Whatever we're talking about, we're talking about a creature and it's corporeal." He shot a small grin at Sam for his use of the _fancy_ word, and Sam rolled his eyes. "That means we can kill it." He then opened the trunk, propped it up with a shotgun, and put some pistols in a duffel bag.

Sam nodded. "We can't let that Hailey girl go out there," he pointed out.

"Oh yeah? What are we gonna tell her?" Dean asked. "That she can't go into the woods because of a big scary monster?"

"She won't buy it," Liz stated. "She's determined to find her brother."

Sam sighed, realizing that she was right. "Yeah… but —"

"She's not just gonna sit this out," said Dean, agreeing with Liz. "Now we go with her, we protect her, and we keep our eyes peeled for our fuzzy predator-friend."

"Finding Dad's not enough?" Sam asked angrily, and slammed trunk shut. "Now we gotta baby-sit too?" and both Dean and Liz stared at Sam, surprised and concerned. "What?"

Dean shrugged. "Nothin." And he threw the duffel bag at Sam before exchanging a knowing look with Liz. Sam was getting to be out of control at the rate he was going, and he wasn't sure that either of them would be able to get through to him before he went too far.

* * *

The next morning out by the mountains…

"I'll tell you again, I don't think Ben should come," Hailey's guide, named Roy, said as he shouldered his pack. "You're paying me good money to keep everybody safe, and I think Ben's safest at home."

Just then, Sam, Liz, and Dean pulled up in their car.

"You guys got room for a few more?" Dean asked, getting out and throwing a backpack over one shoulder.

"Wait, you want to come with us?" Hailey asked, surprised.

Roy eyed the Winchesters suspiciously. "Who are these guys?" he inquired.

Hailey shrugged. "Apparently this is all the park service could muster up for search and rescue."

"You're rangers?" Roy asked, clearly not convinced.

Dean nodded. "That's right."

"And you're hiking out in biker boots and jeans?" Hailey asked, eying their choice of clothing.

Dean smirked. "Well sweetheart, I don't do shorts." Both Sam and Liz sighed.

"What, you think this is funny?" Roy asked angrily. "It's dangerous backcountry out there, her brother might be seriously hurt."

"Believe me, I know how dangerous this could get," Dean assured him. "We just wanna help her find her brother, that's all."

* * *

SOMEWHERE UNDERGROUND…

Tommy and Gary were hanging from the ceiling by their hands. Hearing something, Gary looked down a tunnel and saw the shadow of a creature walking towards them. Moments later, Tommy heard his friend scream as the creature ripped him apart, eating him alive. He shut his eyes tightly and silently prayed for someone to rescue him before it was too late.

* * *

A/N: Eww! I just grossed myself out by going to a scary visual place. R&R everyone!


	2. Chapter 2

Supernatural: Wendigo

A/N: I know that I haven't updated in a while, but I had to finish my finals, which I did today, and once again I'm thanking Yami Faerie for editing my various stories.

Now on with the story to see how the Winchesters are going to keep Hailey, her brother, and the hunter Roy safe from the monster in the woods.

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _Supernatural_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO: AMBUSHED!**

THE FOREST…

After making it perfectly clear that they were coming along, the whole group was soon making their way on a dirt trail, and Dean was walking next to Roy. "Roy, you said you did a little hunting."

Roy nodded. "Yeah, more than a little."

"Uh-huh…What kind of furry critters do you hunt?" Dean asked.

"Mostly buck," Roy answered, "sometimes bear."

"Tell me, uh… Bambi or Yogi ever hunted you back?" Dean joked and Roy suddenly grabbed him by the arm. "Whatcha doin', Roy?"

Roy grabbed a stick and poked it into a bear trap, setting it off. "You should watch where you're stepping," he advised coldly. "Ranger."

Dean stared, realizing just how close he had come to losing his leg. "It's a bear trap."

"You didn't pack any provisions," Hailey pointed out, frowning. "You guys are carrying a duffel bag. You're not rangers so who the hell are you?" she demanded.

Dean sighed; the gig was up. "We're family, just like you and your brothers, and we're looking for our father," he answered. "He might be here, but we don't know. I just figured that you and me, we're in the same boat."

"Why didn't you just tell me that from the start?" Hailey asked.

Dean sighed again. "I'm telling you now. Besides, it's probably the most honest I've ever been with a woman. Ever." Liz ducked her head to hide her smile from behind her twin and Hailey. "So, we okay?"

Hailey nodded. "Yeah, okay."

"And what do you mean I didn't pack provisions?" Dean asked with a sudden grin, pulling out a big bag of Peanut M&Ms.

Liz rolled her eyes skyward. "Really funny, Dean. _Really_ funny."

* * *

After hiking a bit more, Roy stopped and nodded at the area in front of them. "This is it…Blackwater Ridge," he announced.

"What coordinates do we have?" Sam asked.

Roy pulled out a GPS device and checked. "35-111."

"You hear that?" Dean asked, noticing that there was something odd about the area.

Sam and Liz both nodded, realizing the same thing. "Yeah," Liz said, "not even crickets."

"I'm gonna take a look around," Roy informed them, prepping his rifle.

"You shouldn't go off by yourself," Sam cautioned.

Roy smirked. "That's sweet, but don't worry about me." And with that, he walked off into the trees. Dean felt frustration bubbling up within in, but he pushed it down and focused on the people he _could_ protect.

"All right, everybody stays together," he ordered. "Let's go."

But at that moment, Roy called out to them, having found something. "Hailey, over here."

Hailey ran in the direction of Roy's voice, and they all came upon a campsite with tents torn open and blood on them. "Oh my God," she gasped, fearful as Sam, Dean, Liz, and Ben joined them.

Roy examined the damage. "Looks like a grizzly."

"Tommy?" Hailey called out, taking off her backpack. "Tommy?"

"Shh," Sam hissed, but Hailey didn't listen.

"Tommy!"

"Shhhhh," Sam hissed again.

"Why?" Hailey asked.

"Something might still be out there," Sam cautioned.

Dean and Liz were on the other side of the campsite and they found something. "Sam!" Sam joined them. "The bodies were dragged from the campsite. But here the tracks just vanish. That's weird. I'll tell you what… that's no skin walker or black dog."

"Which means that we're dealing with something even more dangerous," Liz agreed, worried.

At that moment, Hailey picked up Tommy's cell phone that had blood spattered on it. The back was torn open, and she started crying.

Dean immediately went over to her and put an arm around her shoulders. "Hey, he could still be alive," he said reassuringly.

"Help!" someone called out from among the trees, and the group, Dean and Liz pulling out their guns, immediately ran a way off toward the cries. "Help!"

"It seemed like it was coming from around here, didn't it?" Hailey asked, when the cries for help suddenly stopped.

Sam suddenly got a bad feeling. "Everybody back to camp," he ordered, and they ran back to the torn up camp, only to find that their supplies were now missing.

Hailey gasped, fearful again. "Our packs."

"Okay, I'm getting a _really_ bad feeling about this," said Liz, gulping.

"So much for my GPS and my satellite phone," Roy grumbled.

"What the hell is going on?" Hailey asked, frightened and pulling Ben close.

"It's smart," said Sam, putting the puzzle pieces together, and not liking the picture it was forming in his mind. "It wants to cut us off so we can't call for help," he added.

Roy raised his eyebrows. "You mean some one, some… some _nut job_ out there just stole all our gear?"

Sam ignored Roy and went over to Dean and Liz, whispering in their ears. "I need to speak with you both… in private." They then walked some distance away. "Let me see dad's journal," he requested and Dean handed it to Sam, who opened it and flipped through to a certain page. "Alright, check that out." He pointed to a drawing of a figure.

Dean and Liz both looked at the description under the picture and they groaned.

"Oh come on, Wendigos are in the Minnesota woods or northern Michigan," Dean protested. "I've never even heard of one this far west."

"Same here," Liz agreed. "The odds are like one in a billion."

Sam sighed, frustrated. "Think about it Dean, Liz, the claws, the way it can mimic a human voice…"

"Great," Dean grumbled and pulled out the pistol. "Well then, this is useless."

Liz kicked at the ground. "And with our packs missing, we've got nothing else that can really deal with a Wendigo," she complained.

Sam knew they were in trouble, and gave Dean back their father's journal. "We gotta get these people to safety," he stated, and walked back to where they left the others. "All right listen up, time to go. Things have gotten more… complicated."

"What?" Hailey asked, confused.

"Kid, don't worry, whatever's out there, I think I can handle it," Roy said reassuringly.

"It's not me I'm worried about, if you shoot this thing you're just gonna make it mad," Sam told the older man. "We have to leave now."

Roy didn't believe that and got into Sam's face. "One, you're talking nonsense, and two, you're in no position to give anybody orders," he retorted, poking Sam in the chest.

Dean, seeing the expression on his brother's face, spoke up. "Relax."

"We never should have let you come out here in the first place, alright?" Sam snapped. "I'm trying to protect you."

"You? Protect me?" Roy scoffed. "I was hunting these woods when your mommy was still kissing you goodnight."

This was the wrong thing to say to Sam, whose face got darker as he got angrier. "Yeah? It's a damn near perfect hunter," he snarled. "It's smarter than you, and it's gonna hunt you down and eat you alive unless we get your stupid, sorry ass out of here."

Roy laughed. "You know you're crazy right?" he asked.

"Yeah? You ever hunt a win-" Sam began, but Roy pushed him in mid-sentence, clearly looking for a fight.

"Roy!" Hailey snapped.

Dean and Liz were quick to intervene. "Chill out."

"Sam, calm down."

"Stop! Stop it, everybody just stop!" Hailey ordered, having enough of the tension. "Look, Tommy might still be alive, and I'm not leaving here without him," she stated.

Dean, Liz, and Sam all exchanged a look, and then Dean spoke. "It's getting late. This thing is a good hunter in the day, but an unbelievable hunter at night. We'll never beat it, not in the dark. We need to settle in and protect ourselves."

"How?" Hailey asked.

* * *

As it got darker, they made a small campsite with a campfire, and both Dean and Liz were drawing symbols in the dirt on the outskirts of the campsite with sticks.

Hailey watched them, confused. "One more time, that's…?" she asked hesitantly.

"Anasazi symbols," Dean answered. "It's for protection. The Wendigo can't cross over them." And Roy laughed, not believing any of this. "Nobody likes a skeptic, Roy," he scolded as he finished up, and walked over to Sam on the edge of the campsite, Liz joining them. "You wanna tell us what's goin' on in that freaky head of yours?" he asked, sitting down next to their little brother on the same rock while Liz sat across from them.

"Yeah, you need to talk to us, Sam," Liz added. "Your temper is out of control."

Sam sighed. "Dean, Liz…" he began.

"No, you're not fine, you're like a powder keg man!" Dean interrupted, very serious. "It's not like you. _I'm_ supposed to be the belligerent one, remember?" he added.

"Dad's not here. I mean that much we know for sure, right?" Sam asked, frustrated. "He would have left us a message, a sign, right?"

"Yeah you're probably right," Dean agreed.

"I don't think Dad's ever been to Lost Creek," Liz said softly.

"Then let's get these people back to town and let's hit the road, go find Dad," Sam said. "I mean, why are we still in here?"

Dean sighed and moved to sit across from Sam and next to Liz, who scooted over. "This is why," he stated, holding up their dad's journal. "This book. This is Dad's single most valuable possession — everything he knows about every evil thing is in here." He shook the journal slightly. "He's passed it on to us, and I think he wants us to pick up where he left off, you know, saving people, hunting things. The family business."

"I'm with Dean," Liz added. "This is what we're trained to do, to help others fight against the forces of evil."

"That makes no sense," Sam complained. "Why doesn't he just call us? Why doesn't he tell us what he wants, tell us where he is?"

Dean shrugged; even he was stumped. "I dunno. But the way I see it, dad's giving us a job to do and I intend to do it."

"As do I," Liz agreed, seriously.

"Dean, Liz, no. I gotta find Dad," Sam protested, voice cracking with suppressed emotion. "I gotta find Jessica's killer. It's the only thing I can think about."

"Ok, all right, Sam, we'll find them, I promise," said Dean, determined to get Sam focused on the present. "But listen to me, you've gotta prepare yourself. I mean, this search? It could take a while, and all that anger, you can't keep it burning over the long haul, it's gonna kill you. You gotta have patience, man," he added.

"And you need to talk about it, too," Liz added, "it's going to eat you up and spit you out if you keep it inside."

"How do you both do it?" Sam asked, feeling a bit better. "How does Dad do it?"

"Well for one… them," Dean answered, looking over at Hailey and her younger brother. "I figure our family's screwed to hell, but maybe we can help some others. Makes things a little more bearable." He paused before grinning slightly. "I'll tell you what else helps. Killing as many sons of bitches as I possibly can." And both Sam and Liz chuckled when-

"Help me! Please! Help!"

Dean and Liz both jumped to their feet and got their guns out, even though they were useless against a Wendigo. "He's trying to draw us out. Just stay cool, stay put, inside the magic circle," he ordered as Sam, Hailey, Ben, and Roy, who readied his rifle, also stood up upon hearing the cries for help.

"Help! Help me!"

Roy actually gulped. "Ok, that's no grizzly."

"You think?" Dean said sarcastically.

Hailey and Ben both sat back down next to the fire, and she patted her brother's shoulder. "It's ok, you'll be all right, I promise." A moment later, she screamed when she saw something moving through the nearby bushes.

"It's here," Sam whispered.

There was more movement, and Roy quickly fired at the Wendigo several times, and they heard a howl of pain. "I hit it!" he exclaimed and left the protection of the circle to the horror of the others.

"Roy, no! Roy!" Dean shouted, but the man kept running. Frustrated, Dean turned to Hailey and Ben. "Don't move," he ordered and then, he, Liz, and Sam ran after Roy.

* * *

Roy ran through the trees, looking for the Wendigo.

"It's over here! It's in the tree!"

He stopped, confused upon hearing his own voice coming from somewhere above, and in that exact second, the Wendigo reached down from the tree and snapped his neck before hauling him upward.

Seconds later, Dean, Liz, and Sam all reached the area, but couldn't see any sign of the missing hunter, unaware that he was dead. "Roy!"

* * *

In the morning, Sam was sitting against the hollow trunk of a tree, playing with a bracelet he had on his wrist that had once belonged to Jess. God, he missed her so much…

Liz watched Sam from over by the campfire, wishing that he'd just open up and talk to her the way he used to. She had been the peacekeeper in the family, especially once Sam hit his teenage years and started asking more questions. He had practically _demanded_ answers, refusing to just follow orders the way Dean and Liz did. Dean had tended towards taking their father's side, often leaving Liz to try and break things up. In the days following the fiercer arguments, Sam would clam up for a day or two before finally opening up to her. She had often thought it was enough until the day Sam left for college. And now… it almost felt like she was losing her little brother all over again.

Meanwhile, Hailey was doing her best not to panic, but after a restless night and Roy's disappearance, it was getting harder for her. "I don't… I mean these types of things, they aren't supposed to be real."

Dean sighed, dragging the heel of one boot through the dirt before meeting Hailey's eyes. "I wish I could tell you different," he admitted.

"How do we know it's not out there watching us?" Hailey asked.

Dean poked at the dying fire with a stick and shrugged. "We don't. But we're safe for now," he added reassuringly.

"How do you know about this stuff?" Hailey asked, both surprised and impressed.

Dean chuckled and shrugged. "Kind of runs in the family," he joked.

"Sort of like a family business," Liz added, finally looking away from Sam.

Thankfully, however, Sam finally joined them, clutching the journal in one hand. "Hey," he said, voice subdued, but serious. "So, we've got half a chance of finding Tommy and getting outta here in the daylight. And I, for one, want to kill this evil SOB," he added.

Dean and Liz both grinned. "Well hell, you know we're in."

* * *

A short while later, Liz and Dean were able to scrounge up two beer bottles and were shoving rags into them while Sam explained what a Wendigo was to Hailey and Ben. "Wendigo is a Indian word. It means evil that devours."

"They're hundreds of years old," Dean added as he worked. "Each one was once a man. Sometimes an Indian, other times a frontiersman, or a miner, or a hunter."

"How does a man turn into one of those things?" Hailey asked, confused.

"Well it's always the same," said Dean, moving so he was fully upright. "During some harsh winter a guy finds himself starving, cut off from supplies or help. Becomes a cannibal to survive, eating other members of his tribe or camp."

"Like the Donnor Party," Ben suggested and Liz nodded.

"Yeah, sort of like what happened to them," she agreed.

"Cultures all over the world believe that eating human flesh gives a person certain abilities," Sam added. "Speed, strength, immortality."

"If you eat enough of it over the years, you become this less than human thing," Liz said, clutching both bottles in her hands. "You're always hungry."

"So if that's true, how can Tommy still be alive?" Hailey asked, doubtful now.

Dean exchanged a look with Liz and Sam. "You're not gonna like it," he said reluctantly.

Hailey gave him a hard look. "Tell me."

Dean sighed. "More than anything, a Wendigo knows how to last long winters without food," he explained. "It hibernates for years at a time, but when it's awake it keeps its victims alive. It uh, stores them, so it can feed whenever it wants. If your brother's alive it's keeping him somewhere dark, hidden and safe. We gotta track it back there."

"And then how do we stop it?" Hailey asked, confused again.

"Well guns are useless, and so are knives," Dean said, pulling out a can of lighter fluid. "Basically, we gotta torch the sucker."

* * *

Soon they were hiking through the woods, passing trees with claw marks and blood smeared on them.

Sam was getting a bad feeling and quickly moved ahead to join his older siblings. "Dean, Liz."

"What is it?" Dean asked as they looked around at the trees they were surrounded by; the branches were broken and all of them had blood and claw marks on them.

"You know…" Sam said slowly and quietly so that Hailey and Ben couldn't hear, "I was thinking… those claw prints… so clear and distinct, they were almost too easy to follow."

Liz muttered a quiet curse, realizing that Sam was right. "It's baiting us."

And just then, the Wendigo growled, and the group backed up, looking all around; Hailey backed into a tree, and blood began dripping onto her shirt. She looked up in time to see Roy's dead body dropping down on her, and she rolled to the side right before he hit her and screamed.

Sam quickly ran over to her while Liz and Dean examined Roy's body quickly. "You okay? You got it?"

"His neck's broke," Dean reported, straightening back up, realizing that they were in serious trouble now. "Okay, run, run, run, run, go, go!" and they all took off back through the trees toward the campsite.

Ben fell while trying to run away, and Sam hurried back to him to help him up. Now the group was split up: Ben was with Sam, and Hailey was with Dean and Liz.

"Come on, I gotcha, I gotcha," Sam said, helping the younger man up.

Further ahead, Hailey, Liz, and Dean were still running when the Wendigo suddenly appeared in front of them growling, and both Hailey and Liz screamed.

Hearing the screams, Ben and Sam ran toward the sounds, but they were too late; Liz, Dean, and Hailey had vanished.

"Hailey?" Ben shouted, looking around wildly. "Hailey!"

Sam stopped running, and picked up the two white rags that'd been poked into the bottles, which were now broken, and looked around, too. "Dean! Liz! DEAN!"

* * *

A/N: I curse thee all with a cliffy! BWAHAHAHAHA! R&R Everyone!


	3. Chapter 3

Supernatural: Wendigo

A/N: Here's the final chapter to this story. Yeah, I know I haven't been updating that often, but I've been busy with Christmas shopping and such, plus I've been bouncing story ideas off of my little sister Yami Faerie, too.

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _Supernatural_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

**CHAPTER THREE: GOING UNDERGROUND**

THE FOREST…

After confirming that the Wendigo had definitely taken Hailey, Liz, and Dean, Sam and Ben wandered through the woods, trying to find some trace of the creature.

"If it keeps its victims alive, why would it kill Roy?" Ben asked, worried for his sister and his brother's safety.

Sam shrugged. "Honestly," he said, looking around for clues, "I think because Roy shot at it, pissed it off."

Just then, Ben found a trail of Dean's M&M's and picked up a yellow one. "They went this way," he said, handing the yellow M&M to Sam.

Sam laughed. "It's better than bread crumbs," he remarked, throwing it aside.

* * *

After following the trail, Ben and Sam came to an entrance to a tunnel that said "Warning! Danger! Do not enter. Extremely toxic material." Exchanging a look, they entered under the sign that said "Keep Out No Admittance."

Turning on a flashlight, they were walking down the tunnel when they heard the monster growl, and Sam pushed Ben against the wall. They could see it coming down the tunnel toward them, and Ben was about to scream, but Sam covered his mouth. Thankfully, the Wendigo took a different tunnel, so Sam and Ben slipped out of their hiding place, and moved in the direction that the creature came from. After walking a few yards, the floorboards started creaking and before Sam or Ben could react, they fell through the floor and into a lower chamber, which had a pile of skeletons that scared Ben.

"Hey, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay," Sam reassured the younger man, and then they looked up to see Hailey, Liz, and Dean hanging from the ceiling. Scrambling to his feet, Sam ran over to Dean and Liz, and Ben ran over to Hailey.

"Dean! Liz!" he exclaimed, relieved to see that they were still breathing.

"Hailey, wake up!" Ben cried, touching his sister's face, and hoping to get a response.

Sam grabbed Dean and shook him. "Dean!" he shouted again, and, with a groan, Dean opened his eyes. "Hey, you okay?" he asked.

Dean winced. "Yeah," he mumbled, still dazed from being man-hauled by the Wendigo. "Liz?"

Sam then turned his attention and Liz, whose shoulder he grabbed, shaking until she groaned and blearily opened her eyes. "Liz! Liz, you still with us?"

"Um… I guess," Liz moaned. "But I'm definitely seeing double," she added.

"If you've got a concussion," Dean stated, "I'll kill ya."

"Shut up, Dean," Liz groaned. "I'm fine."

"Hailey, wake up, wake up," Ben pleaded until Hailey opened her eyes.

Pulling out his knife, Sam cut the ropes and got both Dean and Liz down and Ben got Hailey down. "You sure you're all right?" he asked, helping the twins to the nearest wall for them to sit against, which just happened to be near their missing gear.

Dean grimaced in pain while Liz groaned. "Yeah. Yep, where is he?" he asked, referring to the Wendigo.

"He's gone for now," Sam answered, removing the remaining rope from around their wrists.

At that exact moment, Hailey saw Tommy still hanging nearby and started crying as she and Ben, with Sam following, staggered toward him, and she gently touched his face. "Tommy."

Tommy jerked his head up with a gasp and Hailey screamed. "Cut him down!"

Sam quickly cut him down as Ben and Hailey both helped support him; meanwhile, Dean noticed Roy's backpack and opened it to see what was inside that they could use against the Wendigo.

"We're gonna get you home," Hailey promised, relieved to find her brother still alive.

"Check it out," Dean called out as both he and Liz struggled to their feet, clutching three flare guns.

Sam grinned. "Flare guns. I think those'll work."

Dean laughed and then twirled the two guns he was holding while Liz chuckled.

* * *

The six of them head down a tunnel, supporting a limping Tommy in the middle, and they looked around when the Wendigo started growling.

Dean handed one of the flare guns to Sam. "Looks like someone's home for supper," he guessed.

"We'll never outrun it," Hailey moaned, scared.

Dean looked back at the group and then at Liz and Sam. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

"I wish I wasn't," Liz sighed.

"All right, listen to me," Dean said to Hailey, Ben, and Tommy. "Stay with Sam, he's gonna get you out of here."

Hailey didn't understand. "What are you two gonna do?" she asked.

Dean winked at Hailey and started walking forward with Liz. "Chow time you freaky bastard!" he shouted. "Yeah that's right, bring it on baby, we taste _good_!" He continued yelling as he and Liz disappeared down a nearby tunnel.

"All right come on. Hurry!" Sam ordered and led them down the tunnel.

* * *

"Hey! Hey, you want some white meat, bitch? We're right here!" Dean shouted as he and Liz continued down the tunnel, hoping that they could draw the Wendigo to them and away from the others.

* * *

However, it seemed like the Wendigo wasn't falling for the trick, and growled in the area that Sam, Hailey, Tommy, and Ben were walking through, Sam at the lead.

"Get him outta here," Sam ordered, getting the flare gun ready as the growling continued.

"Sam, no," Hailey protested.

"Go! Go!" Sam snapped, and Hailey and her younger brother started helping Tommy out of the cave. Sam pulled up the gun ready to shoot, moved to the nearest wall, and looked down one way of the tunnel. "Come on. Come on.," he muttered.

Sam froze when the growl came from the other side of the tunnel, and he slowly turned to see the Wendigo was right in his face. Diving to the ground to avoid the claws, he shot at it, but missed. The ugly creature vanished, so Sam got back on his feet and ran down the tunnel after Hailey, Tommy, and Ben.

Hailey turned when she heard the noise and saw him coming. "Sam!"

"Come on, hurry, hurry, hurry," Sam gasped, helping the group run to the end of the tunnel, closely followed by the Wendigo, and discovered that it was a dead-end. "Get behind me," he ordered and bodily blocked the group.

The Wendigo walked toward them, and let out a loud roar, preparing for a slaughter.

Just then, Dean and Liz both came up behind the Wendigo. "Hey!" they shouted to get its attention, and they then shot the Wendigo in the stomach with the flare guns. With a loud roar of anger and pain, it burst into flame from the inside out, and in a matter of seconds, it was completely roasted and dead.

"Not bad, huh?" Dean asked, and the others laughed, relieved that the nightmare was finally over.

* * *

RANGER STATION…

After getting out of the tunnels, the group was found by a search-and-rescue team, and brought back to the ranger station, where an ambulance was loading up Tommy, and a policeman was interviewing Ben and Sam.

"And the bear came back again after you yelled at it?" he asked.

Ben nodded. "That's when it circled the campsite; I mean this grizzly must have weighed 800-900 pounds," he lied.

The policeman nodded, taking down notes on his pad. "All right we'll go after it first thing," he assured them.

Meanwhile, Hailey, Liz, and Dean, after being patched up, walked over to the Impala, and both Liz and Dean sat on the hood.

"So, I don't know how to thank you," Hailey admitted, and Dean stared at her with a suggestive look in his eyes. "Must you cheapen the moment?" she asked, exasperated and Liz laughed.

"Yeah," Dean said, grinning broadly.

"You're pathetic, Dean," Liz stated with a rueful smile.

Just then one of the paramedics came up to Hailey. "You riding with your brother?" she asked.

Hailey nodded. "Yeah." And she turned to Ben, who walked up with Sam. "Let's go." Ben and Sam nodded at each other and Hailey kissed Dean on the cheek and nodded to Liz, who returned the nod. "I hope you guys find your father," she added, and then, she and Ben started walking towards the ambulance. "Thanks, Sam." They got in the ambulance and it closed up.

Sam sat down on Dean's other side, and the older man sighed. "Man, I hate camping," he complained.

"Me too," Sam agreed and Liz nodded.

"Especially when there's a Wendigo involved," she added, grimacing. They sat on the Impala's hood in silence for a few moments.

"Sam," Dean finally said, "you know we're gonna find Dad, right?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I know… but in the mean time," and he grinned, holding out a hand, "I'm driving."

Sighing, Dean tossed him the keys; they got in the car, and drove away.

* * *

A/N: Only three chapters, but that's fine. R&R everyone!


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